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The new Naxos cd took ten days to reach me from date of postage by Presto Classical. The company responded immediately to my initial email about the delay, offering a replacement. When the original order arrived today I notified Presto and again received an immediate reply with thanks for letting them know and renewed apologies.

Now this-unlike recent experience with a British record label-is the way to handle good customers and retain their loyalty

I shall comment on the Diamond and the Kevin Puts cd when I have listened to both.

How right you are, Dundonnell. Incidentally, did you ever receive a reply from Lewis Foreman? It's not like him to ignore a letter.

I am afraid that the short answer is No. And what makes Lewis's silence about this more than a little surprising is that he had written to me not so long ago requesting my permission to quote something I had written about John Veale in a book he is writing. I had thought I might merit a response to my email about the Boyle cd.

I shall comment on the Diamond and the Kevin Puts cd when I have listened to both.

Everyone will have their own individual response, of course, but in comments on another forum Jeffrey (Vandermoelen) was decidedly unenthusiastic about Diamond's Symphony, describing it as aridly modernistic (using different words) and not a patch on the much more generous humanity of Symphonies 1-4, - a work not likely to gain repeat listening in any but the most dutiful fashion. Given Jeffrey's penchant for gaming a positive response to even the most doubtfully appealing music, I fear this could be a very tough piece to like very much. I await some alternative reviews before deciding to chance it myself.

In the other place (Composer Discussion) I noted I had just listened to my copy of the CD and it is very good. Rounds and R & J are played with chamber-ensemble like delicacy and the Symphony No.6 receives a first-class performance. I see the middle period Diamond as continuing the energy and connection of the music of the first 5 symphonies with a more astringent musical language. But these works are just as energetic and likeable, for me anyway. Looking forward to the remaining symphonies (if they emerge).

So, I am put in the position of potentially having to defend the "modernism" of Diamond's 6th symphony against the criticisms of my good friend Jeffrey(vandermolen)

Yes, the 6th is a spikier, more aggressive, dissonant, angrier symphony than some of Diamond's others but so what? Vaughan Williams's 6th is a lot more violent than the Pastoral or the 5th. Composers are allowed to compose music which demonstrates other styles, moods, responses. The Diamond 6th does not make for particularly comfortable listening but the same can be said and is said about most if not all of William Schuman's later symphonies. The Diamond is not a symphony I shall return to often but it is clearly what the composer intended (as RVW said of his own fourth).

All in all a rather forced (if not grudging) defense, and in substance a not much different evaluation from Jeffrey's own. Diamond's freedom to write what he meant I don't believe was in question, but the communicative power of its outcome. Some uncomfortable works we return to again and again because of a certain resonance we feel, but saying (like Jeffrey) repeated listening in this case is unlikely implies a definite lack in that regard. Assuming your mind doesn't change, and disregarding the meaning his Symphony held for Diamond himself, you might even have to say "it fails", - or am I drawing the wrong conclusion?

I think that there is a midway position between "a ringing endorsement" and "aridly modernistic"(or words to that effect) which is close enough to "I don't like it and would not recommend others to bother with it". In fact I doubt that Jeffrey would ever go as far as the second part of that imagined statement. I know that I wouldn't. I learned through unpleasant experience elsewhere that expressing my active dislike of a composer's music can call down incensed vituperative attack. That may make for good "theatre" and increased readership but is ultimately pretty pointless. What does I matter if I find the music of Fartein Valen oppressive or Pierre Boulez incomprehensible. Others see or rather hear things I do not.

I prefer-as you know very well by now - to share my enthusiasms rather than my negative reactions in the hope that those who share or might share some at least of my tastes are made aware of the existence on or not yet on cd of music which interests me.

We cannot reach any proper assessment of a composer's symphonies unless we hear them. The Diamond 6th was available only in a pretty dreadful off-air recording of the 1957 Munch premiere. That is why I welcomed and still welcome its appearance on disc. If it is not warmly romantic, instantly attractive or merit "a ringing endorsement" that does not mean that others should not investigate and find out for themselves I am not a universal guru of good taste . I have been accused(and I use the word in gentlest sense) of an excess of enthusiasm about a lot of "unsung music" but that enthusiasm is actually often focussed on getting an opportunity to finally hear it in a modern good quality performance and recording. I am Not always "bowled over" when I do get to finally hear it Doesn't mean others can't have a different and equally valid reaction!